Repair house car construction



5 Sheets-Sheet l J. P. MCWILLIAMS El' AL REPAIR HOUSE CAR CONSTRUCTIONFiled Nov. 25, 1955 May 7, 1935.

May 7, 1935- J. P. MowlLLlAMs E1' AL REPAIR HOUSE CAR CONSTRUCTION 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 25, 1935 May 7, i935 '.1. P. McwlLLlAMs El" ALREPAIR HOUSE CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 25, 1933 Jam JPM: mi-m5 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT -oFFlcE y2,900,531 REPAIR HOUSE CAR CONSTRUCTION John P. Mcwiuians and FrankDitchaela, cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The Youngstown Steel DoorCompany, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation A of Ohio Application November25, 1933, Serial No. 699,690

7 claims.

railroads of the types commonly known as double sheath steel underframebox .cars and single sheath box cars. All of these cars are providedwith a substantial metal underframe including channel side sills andsheet metal ends and which are in sound condition and suitable-forcarrying present day loads. the majority of instances are in badcondition with the wood sheathing shrunkand otherwise impaired due tothe driving of nails therethrough for the purposeof fastening lading orabuse resulting from the use of pinch bars in forcing the side doorsinto closed position. Practically al1- of said cars are also so designedas to afford only aproximately 8', 6" of inside width, which is lessthan that now recommended under the present A. R. A. rules.

Railroad oflicals are, therefore, confronted with a serious problem indetermining whether or not to try to keep in repair said present woodsheathed cars by renewing the wood sheathing with the attendant' expenseand frequently rejcurring repair bills sure to follow or to provid'eanall metal car with steel sheathing possessing greater strength,`rigidity and freedom from leakage 'in line with the constantlyincreasing demand for all metal cars on account of their greaterdurability, strength and lesser A wood sheathed house cars whilereutilizing the voriginal steel underframes and sheet metal ends so asto provide. a more durable and eiiicient car better adapted to presentday conditions.

-Another object of the invention is to provide,

Y in a repair constructionfforwood sheathed house cars, a .metal sidewall construction that` may Abe lccmbined with the 'original steelunderframe inreplacement of the original wood sheathed walls, in suchmanner as to V,obtain agreater inside width without necessitating'anychange or relocation of the side sills of the underframe.

More specically, objects of the invention are The side walls, however,in

to provide allmetal side wall repair constructions of the type indicatedin the two preceding objects of invention which may be assembled as aunit at the manufacturing plant and applied to the original carunderframesthere or at shops of the railroad car owners and to soarrange and construct the unit repair side walls that, in the a minimumnumber of new rivet holes will be required in the side sills to eiectthe attachment.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a sideelevational view of approximately one half of a box or house car showingone embodiment of the improvements incorporated therein and asspecifically applied to aA house car of original wood, double sheathedtype. In this view, certain portions are broken out in order to betteraccommodate the g-ure on the sheet. Figure 2 is an enlarged, vertical,sectional view, parts being broken away, corresponding to the sectionline 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a horizontal, enlarged, detailsectional view, corresponding to the section line 3-3 of Figure 1.AFigures 4 5 and 6l are vertical sectional views attachment thereof tothe original underframes,

similarto the lower portion of Figure 2 and illustrating three differentmodifications in the repair side wall constructions and attachments tothe side sills. Figure 7 is a front, elevational view of the arrangementshown in Figure 6, the latter sectional view corresponding to thesection line 6 6 of Figure 7. Figure 8 is a View similar to Figures 4, 5and 6, illustrating a' still further embodiment of the invention.

' Figure 9l is a vertical sectional view illustrative of the presentconstruction of many thousands of single sheathv wood box cars now ownedby the railroads. Figure 10 is a. similar, vertical, sectional viewtaken through the sidewall of the same type of car as converted toinclude one formvof the present improvements. And Figure 11 is a sideelevational view of the construction at the lower end of the side wallarrangement shown in Figure 10.

In said drawings, only approximately one half of a side of ,a car hasbeen illustrated in-Figure 1,

but 'as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the remainingportion of the same side of the car will be complementary ofthat'illustrated and the 'opposite side of the-car will be aduplicate-thereof.

Referring iirst to the construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3,one of the channel side sills of the steel underframe of the originalcar is indicated at I and one of the original metal end walls isindicated at I I. The wood double sheathed cars, in their originalcondition (not illustrated) are provided with wood side posts, outerwood sheathing, inner wood lining and Wood side plates. In carrying outthe present invention, all of these parts are dispensed with except thatthe inner wood lining is either replaced or a new one substitutedtherefor.

In carrying out the repair construction, a plurality of intermediateZ-bar side posts I2 are ern` ployed arranged as best illustrated inFigure 3, that is, with the webs of the Z-bar posts extendingperpendicular tothe plane of the side wall. At their upper ends, theposts I2 are attached to a new Z-bar side plate I3, the web of which isdisposed horizontally as indicated at II3, the outer flange depending,as indicated at 2I3, and the innerflange extended upwardly as indicatedat 3I3. The attachment between each post I2 and side plate is preferablyeffected by two angle clips III-I4 each of which has one flange thereofriveted to the web of the post and its other ange riveted to the web ofthe side plate, one clip being disposed on each side of the side postweb.

At their bottom ends, each post I2 isrigidly supported and connected tothe side sill In, by the following arrangement. In line with each postis provided a bracket I5, preferably nin the form of a casting.Saidbracket is formed with two oppositely extending inner flangesI5a-I5a' which are directly riveted to the web of .the side sill'fIll.The bracket I5 is additionally formed with an outwardly extended,centrally disposed vertical ange I5b alined with the web of the post I2.Connection between the post andbracket is effected through the medium oftwo vertically extending plates I 6--I6, each of which is con' nected tothe web of' the post and the bracket ange I5b by a plurality of rivetsI'I, as shown. As clear from Figures 1 and 3, said rivets I'I are indouble shear. With the construction so far described, it will be seenthat the number of new rivet holes required in each side sill is keptto'a minimum, the same corresponding to only those rivets requiredsforattaching the brackets I5.

The door posts, one of which is indicated at I8, will also preferably beof Z-bar type but with the web. thereof arranged parallel to the planeof the side wall. Attachment at the lower end with the side sill iseffected preferably through a plurality of angle plates ISI-I9 and 20,the former being rivetedK to the inturned iiange of the Z and side silland the plate 20 to the side sill and out-turned flange of the Z post.At its upper end, each door post I8 will be attached to the side plate,which extends continuously from end to end of the car,` in the samemanner as'the intermediate posts I2, that is, 4by angle plates or clipsI4I4.

The new metal sheathing which replaces the original'wood sheathing,preferably consists of a plurality of rectangular panels 2I and 2|. and,together, completing the closure from each door post to thecorresponding corner of the car. The end panel 2 Ia will be lapped underthe usual vertical side flange III of the end wall and the connectionreinforced by an interior plate 22, all the parts being suitably rigidlyconnected by the vertical series of rivets 23-23. The panel 2I adjacentthe door opening has its adjacent vertical edge lapped over the web ofthe door post I4 and riveted thereto by the vertical series Of rivets24.

The panels are preferably lapped in line with the outer flange of eachintermediate post I2, as best shown in Figure 3, and the lapped flangesriveted to the post flange as by the vertical series of rivets 25. Alongtheir upper edges, the sheet metal panels 2I-2Ia are lapped under thedepending ange 2I3 of the side plate and riveted thereto by thehorizontal series of rivets 26.

'The lower edges of the sheathing panels are connected to the side sillof the vunderframe by a v,longitudinally extending, preferably formedangle plate 2l best shown in Figure 2, said plate 2'I extending fromdoor post I8 to the corresponding end of the car. Said angle plate 21has an outer upstanding flange lapped under the lower margins of thesheet metal panels and connected thereto by a horizontally extendingseries of rivets 28. The other horizontal and wider flange of theangleplate 21 is extended inwardly beneath the lower ends of the posts vI2and supported on the upper ange 29l of the side sill and riveted theretoas by the horizontally extending series of rivets 30. Where the angleplate 2'I passes beneath each post I2, the angle plate 21 will besuitably notched out, as indicated at 3 I, to accommodate the post andbracket connecting plates I6. Further, each post I2 will be notched outor coped, as indicated at 32 in Figure 2, so as to clear the upstandingflange of the bottom angle plate 2'I and thus avoid the necessity ofoffsetting the outer ange of the post I2, which would otherwise benecessary in order to maintain the sheathing in the one vertical plane.

The inner wood lining 40 is applied to the inner sides of the posts andthe means of attaching the same in place is afforded by vertical nailingstrips 33 which are supported from the panel sheets by angle plates34-34 riveted thereto, the nailing strips in turn being bolted to theplates 34 as by the bolts 35. Preferably, the lining will termi natesomewhat above the floor 36 and shedding cleats 31 interposed near thefloor line between the 'several pairs of posts.

In carrying out the invention, the repair side wall may be shippedknocked down and the parts applied in any desired manner but,preferably, the improved repair side wall will be fabricated and shippedas a unit, that is, with the side plate I3, posts I2, door posts I8,sheathing panels, the two lower angle plates 21 at opposite sides of thedoor opening, and brackets I5 all riveted and connected together so thatthe unit may be applied directly to the underframe of the original car'after the latter has had all of its superstructure, with the exceptionof the end walls, removed. As will be understood, the necessaryadditional rivet holes will have been provided in the side flanges ofthe end walls for the end panels and in the side sills for connection ofplates 21, door posts and post attaching brackets I5.

When the car is converted in themanner described, it is evident that theside walls become true load-carrying girders with tension exertedbetween the posts and the side sills. By providing the direct type ofconnection described between the bottoms of the posts and the side sillsthrough the brackets I5 and plates IG, these tension stresses are veryeectively resisted in direct vertical pulls, without imposing anyappreciable stresses in the bottom angle plates 2l. Attention is alsodirected to the fact that corrosion will be effectively resisted alongthe lover edge of the side wall by the relatively thick 0r heavy bottomplates 2'I.l Any moisture that may prevented from coming in contact withthe relatively thin side wall sheathing by the upstanding flanges lofthe plates 21, thus insuring longer life of the all metal side wallarrangement.

Referring next to the construction in Figure 4,`

the side sill I is there shown as having a post attaching casting I Iriveted to the sill as in the case to the Vplane of the side sill and'adapted to be riveted to the inner ange of the post I I2 by the seriesof rivets I I1. The bottom attaching member |21 is similar to the plate21 of the rst described form and is secured to the top flange of thesill in the same manner as by the rivets |30. In the Figure 4construction, the post I I2 is not coped at its bottom but, on thecontrary. the outer flange of the Z is laterally inwardly offset asindicated at I I2a and is connected to the upstanding fiange of thebott/om plate |21 and lower edge of the sheathing by the rivet |28. Theremainder of the side Wall construction with respect to the attachmentof the posts and sheathing to the side plate may be of the samecharacter as that previously described.

In the Figure 4 construction, it will be noted that the inner woodlining |40 is located farther out from the center line of the car thanthe lining 40 of the first described construction, thusproviding for agreater inside width of the/car when this is desired. As will beunderstood, the posts and lining of the rst described form might also beset`outwardly', if desired, to accomplish the same result. y

In the Figure 5 arrangement, the post attaching bracket or casting 2I5is, also secured to the side sill III vbut in thissinstancethe attachingbracket is provided with a pair of upstanding flanges 2|6 arrangedperpendicular to the. plane of the side wall and adapted to straddle andembrace the web of the post 2 I2 to which it is riveted as by the rivets2|1. Inth'e Figure 5 arrangement, the plate or bottom attaching member221 is generally similar to'the bottom plates 21 and |21, previouslydescribed, but is providedl with an additional upwardly offset 'section4I. In some instances, it is desirable to use thinner floor boards thanthose originally used on the car and as shown in Figures 2 and 4, forinstance, without materially changing the height of the floor from therails.. With the Figure 5 construction of plate 221, the floor boards23B may be' of lesser thickness to accomplish the result indicated, thesame being supported above the side sills by utilizing the integrallyformed offset 4| referred to. In both of the Figures 4 and- 5constructions, it will be understood that the plates |21 and 221 aresuitably apertured for passage therethrough of the bracket flanges IIBand 2I6 respectively, and

further, each of the brackets |I5 `and 2|5 is formed with'horizontalsupporting anges riveted to the horizontal legs of the plates |21 and221 as by the rivets 42-42.

Referring next to the construction illustrated in Figures 6 and 1, theattachment for the lower end of each of the posts 3I2 is effectedthrough a specially formed attaching bracket or casting 3I5 riveted asbefore to the side sill I0, as indicated. In this arrangement, theattaching bracket is formed with a narrow shoulder or'ledge 3I5 flushwith the upper flange of the side sill and an upwardly extending section3|5b outwardly thereof. AThe side wall bottom attaching member 321 isformed to correspond with the contour of the bracket 3 I 5 and may besaid to be of approximately W-shape. The bracket 3|5 is provided with apair of upstanding integral flanges 3|6 similar to those of the'bracketshown in Figure 5 and which are secured to the web of the Z bar post 3 I2 in the same manner. In the Figures 6 and '1 construction, the outerflange of the post 3I2 is coped, asindicated at 332 to clear theupstanding outer flange of the bottom connecting plate 321. With the Wtype of plate 321, it will be seen that the lapped joint, between thesheathing and upstanding flange of the plate 321 is located above thelevel of the flooring 336 so that there is even less danger of corrodingthe sheathing than in the previously described forms since it ispractically impossible for any moisture to reach the sheathing from theinside of the car.

Referring next to the modification shown in Figure 8, the attachingbracket or casting 4|5 is similar to that of Figure 5 and attached tothe Z-bar post 4| 2 in the same manner. The post in this instance isshown coped as indicated at 432. In this construction, the bottom member421 of the side wall structure is of angular cross section and eachwillextend from door post to corner post as in the case of the previouslydescribed forms. The plate 421, however, is not extended over orconnected to the side sill I0 but has the inner edge of its bottomhorizontal flangev located somewhat outside of the plane of the' sidesill web. The plate 421 is connected tothe brackets 4|5 by rivets 442,as clearly shown;

To provide suitable attachment for the floor boards 43B, a separatelongitudinally extending plate 44| is employed, the same being rivetedto the upper flange of the side sill and extended inwardly thereof andtowhi'ch the boards may be attached as by the bolts 443. The outer edgesj of the floor boards-are supported on the bottom flange ofthe plate42,1 arid, as will be apparent,

the oor boards close the gap otherwise existing between the plate 421and the side sill.

-Referring next to the construction shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11,wherein is illustrated the Vmanner of carrying cut the improvements withrespect to a single wood sheathed box car. As indicated in Figure 9, thestandard steel underframe single sheathed wood box car is usuallyprovided with channel side sills I IIi; specially formed'angle sideplates 50, outside pressed side posts 5|; flooring .52; and heavy woodsheathing 53. As customary, the upper ends of the posts 5| are flattenedout and riveted to the side plate,

as indicated at 54, and the lower ends are similarly flattened out and'riveted' to the side sill, as indicated at 55. The posts 5| are usuallyof U or bathtub section. having a maximum depth throughout theirintermediate portions and tapering inwardly and upwardly and inwardlyand downwardly at the tops and bottoms respectively, as'shown. Saidstandard single sheathed cars are generaly constructed with an insidewidth of 8', 6", and with .8', 9" over the side sills. The

4side sill spacing is somewhat greater than that wherein are employedZ-bar posts 5l2 located outwardly of the plane of the side sills andrigidly secured to the latter by attaching brackets or castings 5|5,similar in all substantialrespects to that type of attaching bracketillustrated in Figure 11 although, as will be understood, the attachingbrackets may be modified tonconformy with those shown in any of theother gures previously described. The posts 5|2 are so located that,when the inner Wood lining 540 is applied. thereto, an inside width of8', 91/8" will be obtained as indicated in Figure 10, thusmateriallyincreasing the inside width over the original 8', 6", toconform to present recommended practice. New Z-bar side plates 513 willpreferably be employed and, further, the same will be located somewhathigher than that of the original side plates Ellas indicated in Figure10 so as toobtain an increase in the inside height of the oar.Connection between each side plate and the respective side posts 5I2 isobtained in the same manner as heretofore described, that is, by angleclips or plates 5|4.` The metal sheathing 52| is riveted to the outerflanges of the posts and to the depending flange of the side plate inthe same man- -ner as rst described.

The bottom member or plate 521 of the side wall structure is preferably-in the form of anv angle, as shown, and with its upstanding flangeriveted to the lower edge of the sheathing and `its horizontal iiangesupported on and riveted to the bracket castings 5I5. In theconstructionl shown, the posts 5|2 have their outer flanges inwardlyoffset, as indicated at 5|2a, to accommodate the upstanding flange ofthe connecting plate 521 and to which it is riveted although, as will beunderstood, the posts may be coped in a manner similar to thatillustrated in Fig- `ures 2, 6 and 8. The two upstanding flanges 515 ofthe attaching casting are riveted to the web of the respective post, asby the rivets 5I1 which,-

as apparent from Figure 11, are thereby placed in double shear. Thehorizontal flangesof the bracket casting are riveted to the angle plate521 as by the rivets 542. In the construction described, no directconnection is effected between the bottom plate 521 and the side sillbut in CGI order-to provide means for attaching the ooring 536,Y aseparate longitudinally extending plate 54| is employed, riveted to theside sill and connectedl by bolts to the flooring in the same manner` aspreviously described for the Figure 8 construction.

From the construction just described, it is evident that the singlesheathed type of cars may not only be converted to an all steel car butthe inside width and the inside height, when desired,

may be increased without in any way disturbing shipped as a completeside. unit of the car for' attachment to the originaliunderframe and carends. It will also be noted that, in all car constructions, only aminimum number of new rivet holes is required to be made in the originalside' sills for the attachment of the post brackets only, there being nodirect connection between any of the bottom plates and the webs of thelside sills. l

Although there has herein been shown and described what is nowconsidered the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, the samelis merely illustrative and all changes and modifications arecontemplated that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A repair construction for originally Wood sheathed house car having ametal side sill of continuously uniform cross section throughout itslength, including, in combination: a. metal side plate; metal sideposts; meansA connecting the upper ends of the posts and side plate;attaching brackets at and connected to the bottom ends of the posts,said brackets being directly secured to the outer side of the existingside sill; metal sheathing separately formed from and secured to theouter sides of the posts and along its upper edge to the side plate; anda metal bottom member having an upstanding ange located outwardly of theplane 0f the sill and secured to the lower edge of the metal sheathing,said posts being coped at their bottom ends to accommodate saidupstanding ange.

2. A repair construction for originally wood sheathed house car having ametal side sill, including in combination: a metal side plate; metalside posts, the lower ends of which terminate above the side sill; meansconnecting the upper ends of the posts and side plate; attaching4brackets atand connected to the bottom ends l ing and its other angeextending horizontally inward over and secured to the top of the sidesill.

3. A repair construction for originally wood sheathed house car having ametal side sill, including, in combination: a metal side plate; me alside posts; means'connecting the upper ends of the posts and side plate;attaching brackets at and connected tothe bottomends of the posts, saidbrackets being adapted to be secured to the existing side sill; metalsheathing secured to the posts and along its upper edge to the sideplate; and a metal side wall bottom member of angle cross section havingits outer flange extending vertically and secured to the lower edge ofthe sheathing, said brackets being secured to the bottoms of the postsby means extending through the other ange of said member and the postsbeing adapted to be attached to the existing sill, independent of saidbottom member.

4. A repair construction for house cars having a metal side sill,including, in combination: a side plate; side posts; metal sheathingsecured to the posts; ooring; and unitary means providing connectionbetween the lower edge of the sheathing and side sill and for supportingthe flooring in spacedlrelation above the side sill, said meansincluding a plate secured to the top of the side sill and having oneportion extending outwardly from the sill and united to the sheathingand another portion extended inwardly and upwardt 2,000,531 ly from thesill and on which the flooring is supported.

5. A house car construction, comprising in combination: a metal sidesill; metal side posts; metal sheathing secured to the outer faces ofthe side posts; metallic means extending between the lower edge of thesheathing and the side sill; and means for attaching the lower ends ofthe posts to the side sill, each of said means including a bracketsecured to the side sill below said metallic means and connecting platessecured to said bracket and extended upwardly through said metallicmeans and secured tothe bottom of the post thereabove.`

6. A converted house car including: a metal underframe having channelside sills with the flanges thereof turned inwardly and with an over-allspacing from web to web of substantially 8', 9, and corresponding to astandard steel underframe, single wood sheathed box car having anoriginal inside width of substantially 8', 6"; metal side posts locatedoutwardly of the side sills; metal side plates to which the upper endsof the posts are attached; metal sheathing secured to the side platesand outer faces of the posts; means, including longitudinally extendingside wall bottom members secured to the lower edges of the sheathing,providing a weatherproof connection between the sheathing and side sillsand for anchoring the lower ends of the posts to the webs of the channelsills; and inner lining secured to the posts, the latter and the liningbeing so located as to provide an inside width of the converted car notless than the over-all spacing of the side sill webs.

7. A car side wall repair construction adapted to be assembled andapplied as a unit to the metal underframe of an originally wood sheathedhouse car, including: a metal side plate having a depending outer ange;a plurality of vertically disposed metal posts, secured at their upperends to thev side plate; metallic sheathing secured to said posts andsaid depending ange of the side plate; a metallic bottom member of anglesection having a vertically disposed outer flange located outwardly ofthe existing car side sill and secured to the lower edge of thesheathing, the other flange of said member extending horizontallyinwardly and beneath the bottoms of the posts; and attaching brackets atthe bottoms of the posts beneath the horizontal flange of said bottommember, each bracket being connected by means extending through thebottom member to its respective post and having portions adapted to beriveted to the outer face of the existing car side sill to eiectconnection of the post to the sill independent of said bottom member.

JOHN'P. MCWILLIAMS. FRANK DITCHFIELD.

